Calhoun community rallies to help fire victim family

CALHOUN, Ga. -- A devastating house fire in Calhoun last Thursday has left a family of eleven homeless. Dealing with the loss has been complicated as the parents care for six children, ages 6 to 10, all with special needs.

Through a Facebook posting, concerned friends turned to the 11Alive Help Desk to join the effort.

Dan and Amy Delaney have given so much of themselves to the six adopted children with disabilities. They are all safe after a devastating house fire, but everything else was lost.

All that the Delaney family could salvage from their Habitat home were a few family pictures.

Nothing is left.

But most importantly, there were no injuries.

An older son, just home from the Navy and a babysitter rescued all of the children. Everyone got out safely.

"We have spent a lot of time in hospitals with each of the children and some of them have been near death experiences for the children, and so for us our first thought was that we were so thankful and felt so blessed that everyone made it out okay," Amy Delaney said.

And the Delaney's say they have been equally blessed by the outpouring from the Calhoun community.

Neighbors, friends and businesses have all stepped up with essentials and offering to help find the family a place to live.

Right alongside the community has been the 11Alive Help Desk.

"We are just going to start working our way through the clothing and making sure everyone has a bed and a towel and we will go from there," Delaney said.

Joining in the community effort, we added:

From Macy's, $1,000 in gift cards for clothing, shoes and other essentials.

From the Calhoun Wal Mart, another $1,000 to cover basic appliances, more essentials. Also from Wal Mart, assurances that the family will have gifts to celebrate Christmas.

And From Rooms to Go, a complete bedroom suite for the parents and beds for each of the children.

For Amy Delaney a handmade sign she made in front of the house says it all:

"Thank you for another reminder that love of community is more important than the things that we have."

For the Delaney family the love shown by the community continues to be profound.